主內弟兄姊妹平安！

從美中奧沙湖邊向你問好，願主常將天上的恩典與復活的大能，豐豐富富的臨到你的身上！在分享中心的事工前， 仍繼續九月的校園教會牧養系列:

設立合神心意的長老、執事、同工

教會事工最重要, 但又最困難的就是：有沒有適合的同工人選? 「人對」才能有事工，當教會有一位在神心中看為合適的同工，就能奠下美好事奉的基礎。但若選擇了錯誤的同工，整個教會都會受虧損。教會的同工該如何設立呢？當保羅建立了革哩底教會後，就差他的同工提多去那城設立教會的長老。他沒有將設立長老的擔子，交給屬靈根基仍淺薄的革哩底教會的弟兄姊妹，卻將這設立教會同工的工作，交給受過保羅訓練又有事奉經驗的提多（多 1:5- 6)。保羅在旅行佈道時，也在各地設立長老（徒 14:23)。因此教會同工的設立，不是由靈命淺薄的弟兄姊妹決定；乃是由靈命成熟，有經驗的同工設立。當有靈命成熟, 又有經驗的同工所選立的同工，一代一代的建立好的教會同工，教會就有希望不斷維持興旺。若選錯同工，痛苦常影響全教會直到三、四代。教會同工的設立，不能由屬靈膚淺的同工去投票設立同工。

很多人誤以為長執是選出來的，但實際上如果是需要被選出來的話，就表示現在還不是設立的時候，因為他作長老的恩賜與果效尚未顯明出來。很多教會採用投票的方式，那麼選同工時，就會產生拉票的情況，在競選中，就會產生批評與閒話，會帶出很多的磨擦與不愉快。長老應當是在長久的事奉中顯明出來的，也就是說某位同工過去多年的服事，讓弟兄姊妹能清楚看見，他雖然沒有長執的頭銜，但在事奉中已發揮了長執的功能，也顯出有這方面的恩賜，作了弟兄姊妹事奉的榜樣，並且也在教導弟兄姊妹認識神的話，按神的話而行。這時需要的只是讓大家一同確認，接納這位同工為長老或執事。

設立長執與同工時要注意的是：

1. 長老、執事和同工的按立，不要太快，免得在別人的罪上有份 (提前5:22)。
2. 多花時間觀察，清楚知道他可勝任才按立。
3. 功能比職位更重要，先讓待被設立的人顯明他的功能，再按立長老。
4. 教會的長老、執事、同工及牧師，寧可缺，但勿濫。
5. 工人的生命比工作的表現更重要，選立同工要有屬靈的看見與屬靈的智慧。
6. 多禱告，等大家都有共識時，才設立長執與同工。

設立日後合神心意的同工，是現任同工主要的職責，這職責若能完成，教會就能往著興旺的路徑前行，這職責若不能完成，教會就往著空虛混沌，淵面黑暗方向直奔，求主保守現任的同工，給他們主的智慧，安排適合的人，去作主的工作。

九月短宣隊

九月短宣的事奉在主的恩手扶持中完成，四十個人分成三大隊, 在行程中, 每一大隊又按需要再分成二至四小隊不等。每年九月短宣隊所走的路程都非常遙遠，這次甚遠至墨西哥灣旁Florida的首府Tallahassee。聚會前的一星期，當地同工已通知我們，因為超大的颶風來臨，學校已宣佈放假一週，所有商店與公司都停止營業，因此聚會將取消，我們勸他們多仰望主，求主保守與動工，使這困難變成傳福音的好機會。感謝主！在同工們同心禱告與堅定倚靠主下，這次颶風到Tallahassee前，已大大減弱，沒有造成很大的損害，雖有很多地方停電，但在我們到塔城時，都恢復過來了，已出城的同學，也都提早回來，探訪事工的安排，都非常順利，聚會也照常進行，感謝主！有好幾位接受了主。事奉主雖不容易，但我們若專一的倚靠祂，必定能看見信實的主永不誤事，祂的作為奇妙。

這次在Alabama 發現有一個大學，雖然只有幾十位學生，但有幾位華人基督徒教授，他們也有心向學生傳福音，但尚未有華人查經班，我們臨時安排一小隊的短宣隊前往，到那校園作開荒佈道工作，週五晚就開設了佈道會，我們建議這幾位教授繼續有小組查經，也鼓勵附近的校園去協助。感謝主！傳福音的腳蹤何等的佳美，不論走到那裡，都看見主的恩典與同在。

冬季各項聚會

1. 冬令會 將於十二月廿一至廿五日在密蘇里州堪薩斯城的Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center舉行。冬令會是趁著寒假期間，讓各地弟兄姊妹們共聚一堂，共同追求主，讓主在年終挑旺我們的靈，不僅使我們看見明年我們該走的方向，更讓我們未來的日子更討主喜悅，活得更有意義，結出更美的果子。冬令會也讓各地弟兄姊妹同心合意的去傳福音，邀請福音朋友來參加，感謝主！這次我們的講員有：許道良牧師、陳世欽牧師、關國瑞牧師、張路加牧師、華欣牧師、徐春華師母等，請預備您的心參加，並早邀請福音朋友參加，也懇切為聚會禱告。報名時間為十一月中開始至十二月十七日下午三時五十九分嚴格截止。大會也有英語部， 幫助講英語的弟兄姊妹（中學生、大學生與青年工作者）認識主與追求主，講員為 Edwin Lin 等，也有Dan Davis夫婦與其他美國同工，帶領兒童從小在主裡長進，好讓孩童的父母能安心學習主道。請您為聚會代禱並預備您的心來參加，費用為自由奉獻。網上報名約為十一月中開始，敬請注意。
2. 十二月門徒與同工訓練營 將於十二月廿五日晚至三十日，在基督工人中心的營地(Warsaw, MO)舉行。目標不僅是為了幫助各地校園建立門徒，栽培有影響力的校園學生同工，在校園作個帶著學業事奉主的人，向同學傳福音，好叫他們畢業後，被主差遣成為帶職的小牧人或全職的宣教士，在教會事奉主，在福音的工場上為主多得靈魂。門徒訓練比冬令會更能增進弟兄姊妹的靈命，建立弟兄姊妹，為校園團契建立同工，盼望有更多弟兄姊不僅參加冬令會，也能留下參加門徒訓練營。 這次訓練講員有陳世欽牧師與黃天賜牧師。 請為聚會代禱並儘早報名。
3. 一月讀經營 將於2017年十二月三十一日傍晚開結，至2018年一月六日中午，在基督工人中心的營地(Warsaw, MO)舉行。內容為被擄、歸回、等主來（拉、尼、斯、該、亞、瑪）。嚴格報名截止日期為2017年11月15日，請儘早報名，儘早準備，恕不接納逾期報名者。讀經營是為了挑起弟兄姊妹們讀經的興趣，栽培弟兄姊妹讀經的能力，建立弟兄姊妹成為分享神話語的人。感謝主，已有不少弟兄姊妹報名參加，也在各地校園與網路上成立讀經小組，一同研讀神的話，與彼此鼓勵，完成讀經營的功課。這次講員有：諶志豪牧師、高昭鑾姊妹等，請盡早報名參加，開始自修準備，能更充分預備的參加讀經營。 請為弟兄姊妹現正準備功課禱告。

謝謝您在禱告及奉獻上對基督工人中心的支持。願神豐盛地賜福您和您的一家。

在主裡與您一同服事的，

高榮德牧師

 

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, peace to you!

Greetings from the Lake of Ozarks in the Midwest! May heavenly grace and the power of resurrection be richly imparted to you by the Lord at all times! Before sharing news of CWC’s ministries, I would like to continue the series “Pastoring Campus Churches” last visited in the September newsletter.

God’s pleasing Church By-Law and God’s pleasing Church

What remains a most important and also a most daunting task of a church is to identify suitable coworkers, the right person for the right ministry. When the church finds a God-pleasing worker, then it can lay down a wonderful foundation for the church. If an unsuitable coworker is chosen, then it can bring a big loss to the whole church. These gains and losses can persist years after that coworker. How shall we appoint church coworkers? After Paul founded the church on the island of Crete, he sent his coworker Titus there to appoint church elders. He did not entrust this responsibility to the Cretan brothers and sisters. They were still spiritually immature and their biblical foundation were rather shallow. So Paul commended selection and orientation to Titus, an experienced disciple Paul had instructed personally (Titus 1:5-6). Furthermore, in his missionary journeys, Paul appointed elders in every local church (Acts 14:23). Given these careful precedents, appointing church coworkers ought not be decided by spiritually immature brothers and sisters, but rather by prudent and experienced workers for God who could appoint additional coworkers and build them up generation by generation. In this way there will be hope for a church to maintain growth and revival. If her coworkers are not wisely chosen, then a church can suffer for three to four generations.

Church coworkers appointment should not be determined by the votes of those who are inexperienced spiritually and who are easily swayed by superficial or unproductive concerns. Many think that elders and deacons ought to be elected by the congregation, perhaps serving definite terms as do civil officers. However, extended deliberation suggests that candidates have not already proven spiritual gifts and effectiveness to be a God-pleasing elder or deacon. Congregational voting can encourage candidates or their supporters to campaign. Criticisms and gossips intensify and generate lasting conflicts and frustrations within the church body. Those who can eventually mature can become discouraged by being the object of widespread judgement. Instead, enduring services should be so obvious to brothers and sisters that, even though this candidate does not possess the title of an elder, he has already functioned as one and demonstrated corresponding and necessary spiritual gifts. Not only is he a role model of faithful ministry to brothers and sisters, but also he has been devotedly teaching brothers and sisters to know and obey the Word of God. Should such a candidate emerge, simple joint confirmation of all the coworkers would appoint him as an elder or a deacon.

A church needs to pay special attention to the following when appointing elders, deacons, or coworkers:

1. Do not appoint elders, deacons, or coworkers too hastily and thereby take part in the sins of others (1 Timothy 5:22).
2. Spend more time to observe as to ensure that someone is qualified before appointment.
3. Effectiveness is more important than position. Wait for a candidate to demonstrate his efficacy prior to appoint him an elder.
4. It is better not to have elders, deacons, coworkers, and pastors in place than settle for someone incompatible.
5. The inner life quality of a person is more essential than outward performance. Therefore, any existing leaders need spiritual discernment and wisdom to appoint a coworker.
6. Pray until all coworkers have consensus before appointing elders, deacons, and coworkers.

Foremost among responsibilities of the current church coworkers are to encourage God-pleasing potential coworkers and eventually, officially recognize these additional coworkers. If these tasks are faithfully carried out, the church will proceed to revival and lasting growth. Otherwise, the church can drift into an incoherent and unproductive state. May the Lord guide all current coworkers and grant them wisdom to encourage and appoint suitable people for the Lord’s work.

September Short Term Mission Teams

The September short term mission was accomplished by the gracious hands of the Lord. Altogether there were 40 members composed of three big teams. Each big team was divided into two to four small teams according to the needs during the trip. These September short term mission teams have covered longer distances each year. This time they even reached the capital city of Florida, Tallahassee, next to the Gulf of Mexico. A week before the day that an evangelistic meeting was scheduled, the local coworkers informed us that the meeting had to be canceled due to the approaching of an immense hurricane. The university had announced its closure for a week, as well as all the local stores and companies. We urged the coworkers to look upon the Lord and ask Him to guide and help, to turn this hardship into a good opportunity to share the Gospel. Praise the Lord! Because of our prayers and trust on the Lord with one spirit, when the hurricane reached Tallahassee, it was weakened substantially and did not cause much damage. When we arrived in town, many places that had been out of power were back to normal. Students who left town because of the hurricane all came back early. Therefore, our visitation schedule went smoothly and the meeting took place as planned. Praise the Lord! Several students accepted the Lord! Although serving the Lord is not easy, if we rely on Him fully, we will surely witness that the faithful Lord will never cause delay. His work is always marvelous!

In Alabama we found a university with dozens of Chinese students and a few Chinese faculty and staff. Though these Chinese professors are eager to share the Gospel with students, they did not yet have a Chinese Bible study group. We promptly arranged a small short mission team to pioneer this campus and held an evangelistic meeting on that very Friday evening. We encouraged those Chinese professors and staff to continue to meet as a Bible study group. We also encouraged nearby campuses to support them. Praise the Lord! How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News! Wherever we set our feet, we always witness the Lord’s grace and presence.

Winter Meetings

1. The Winter Conference will take place from December 21st to 25th at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, Kansas city, Missouri. Brothers and sisters from various regions will meet together during the winter vacation and seek the Lord with one heart. May the Lord kindle our spirit at the end of the year and show us the direction we should take in the new year. May the Lord help us please Him more, live a more abundant life, and bear more beautiful fruits in the future! The Winter Conference also encourages brothers and sisters to share the Gospel with one mind and invite nonbelievers to attend. Praise the Lord! This year our speakers are: Pastor John Hsu, Pastor Joshua Ting, Pastor Stephen Kwan, Pastor Luke Zhang, Pastor Gary Hua, and Mrs. Nellie Hsu, etc. Please prepare your heart to attend the conference. Please start early in inviting nonbelievers to attend. Please also earnestly pray for the conference. Online registration will be open from mid-November until 3:59 p.m. CST, December 17th, 2017, and this deadline will be strictly observed. The conference also has an English section, which aims to help English-speaking brothers and sisters (middle and high school students, college students, and young adults) know the Lord and pursue the Lord. The speakers are Edwin Lin and others. Brother Dan Davis, his wife Kathy Davis, together with other American teachers will teach the children to grow in the Lord while they are young. This will allow the parents to focus on learning the Word of God with peace in mind. Please pray for the conference and prepare your heart to attend. It is going by freewill offering. The online registration will be open in the mid-November. Please keep an eye on this.
2. The December Disciple and Coworker Training Camp will be held at CWC campsite (Warsaw, MO) from the evening of December 25 to noon of December 30. The purpose is not only to train disciples for local campuses but also to build up student coworkers who can influence others, serve the Lord on campuses, and share the Gospel with fellow students. As a result they can be commissioned by the Lord upon graduation to be lay-ministers or full-time missionaries to serve the Lord in local churches and win over lost souls. Comparing to the Winter Conference, the Disciple Training can more effectively enhance brothers and sisters’ spiritual life, build them up, and equip them to be coworkers for campus fellowships. We pray that many brothers and sisters will not only attend the Winter Conference, but also continue to attend the Disciple Training Camp. The speakers for this training include Pastor Joshua Ting and Pastor Wilson Wong. Please pray for this training and apply early.
3. The January Bible Camp will be held at the CWC campsite (Warsaw, MO) from the evening of December 31st, 2017, to noon of January 6th, 2018. We will be studying the history of the Jewish exile, returning to Juda, and waiting for the Lord’s coming (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi). The strict application deadline will be observed as November 15th. (Please register early and prepare early. Late applications will not be accepted.) The purpose of the Bible Camp is to enhance brothers and sisters’ interests in reading the Bible, cultivate their ability to interpret and apply, and equip them to effectively teach the Word of God. Praise the Lord! Many brothers and sisters have already registered and have formed Bible study groups online or on local campuses. They study the Word of God together, encourage one another, and complete their Bible camp assignments. The speakers are Pastor Chihao Shen and Sister Chao-Luan Kao. Please register early so that you may start early to study on your own and attend the Bible camp more prepared. Please pray for brothers and sisters as they prepare their homework and read the Bible in depth.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support to CWC. May the Lord abundantly bless you and your whole family!

Together in His services,

Billy Ko (Pastor and Director)